Street Signs Honor Community Leader Vernell Myers Coleman
On Wednesday, March 27, the Phoenix Street Transportation Department gathered with the family of the late Vernell Myers Coleman to unveil ceremonial signs, located at 7th Avenue and Buckeye Road.
The signs have been mounted on the mast arms of the northeast and southwest traffic signal poles at 7th Avenue and Buckeye Road, an area of Phoenix where Mrs. Coleman dedicated more than 40 years of service, focusing on the underserved population and those in need.
Members of the Coleman family, elected officials, and representatives from the City of Phoenix provided remarks and participated in the unveiling of the signs.
Vernell Myers Coleman (August 28, 1918 – March 27, 1990), along with her children, moved into the City’s Matthew Henson Housing Project in 1945. Mrs. Coleman made numerous contributions to the City of Phoenix and community, which involved becoming an advocate for her fellow tenants at the Matthew Henson Housing Project, and serving as a commissioner of the Leadership and Education of the Advancement of Phoenix (LEAP) during the 1960s. In addition, Mrs. Coleman was a member of the Board of Directors of the Phoenix Urban League and the City of Phoenix Housing Advisory Board, also serving as both the chairwoman and treasurer for the Phoenix Human Resources Council, as well as a board member with St. Mary’s Food Bank.
Over the years, Vernell Coleman’s many works did not go unnoticed, and she received numerous awards and honors from the State of Arizona, the City of Phoenix, businesses, and social organizations over the years prior to her death in 1990. Some of her most notable accolades include the Greyhound Corporation naming her Phoenix Woman of the Year, the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahai’s of Phoenix in 1979 presented her with the first Willie L. Robertson Memorial Human Rights award, the Luke’s Men of St. Luke’s Medical Center and Phoenix KPNX-TV presented her with the Hon Kachina award, she was also named Woman of Distinction by the Women of Achievement group, a coalition of the Junior League of Phoenix, Meyer Inc., and Soroptimist International of Phoenix. Mrs. Coleman has also received the Spirit of Arizona award, and in 1990 was inducted into the Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame.Mrs. Coleman is also remembered for reviving the celebration of Juneteenth in Phoenix while serving as head of the Matthew Henson Housing Project Tenant’s Council in 1968. She was also instrumental in helping to organize the St. Mary’s Food Bank with founder John Van Hengel and served on the board for several years.
Located within this neighborhood is also Phoenix’s Vernell Coleman Recreation Center (830 W. Tonto Street), named in her honor.
Installation of the signs was approved by Phoenix City Council during its Formal Meeting on February 21, 2024.
